Hold My Heart
by SuperAwesomePandaKitty
Summary: When Eddie starts avoiding Richie, a fight with some homophobic jocks may bring them closer together. This is the result of reading too many Reddie fics and needing to get this out of my head. *Title inspired by Lindsey Stirling*


A/N Not gonna lie, I love this ship and I couldn't get this out of my head and it kinda ran away from me. It's unbetad and probably full of mistakes but I will come in and edit it every so often when I have time, I just really wanted to put this out there. Enjoy! :)

Eddie had been avoiding him.

Don't get him wrong, when the Losers Club all hung out together Eddie would talk to Richie but it was always short replies, he made sure not to sit close to Richie and it was driving Richie mad.

Maybe Eddie found out that's he's been in love with the hypochondriac for years but Richie didn't think that the shorter boy would hate him that much.

Richie sighed as he puffed on his cigarette behind the school. They would be graduating in two weeks and he honestly wanted to work out why Eddie would blatantly ignore him.

Maybe he told one mom joke too many, called him Eds too many times and drove him away with his trashmouth but Eddie would have called him out for going too far wouldn't he?

He would have retorted with the standard ' _Beep Beep Richie_ ' and Richie would have registered that he went too far and apologised.

He sighed dejectedly, bringing the cigarette back up towards his lips as he took a deep inhale to try and calm his nerves.

Maybe this would have always happened, Richie would have broken one of these days. Given too much away and Eddie would be repulsed by his feelings and turn his back on him.

Eddie had gotten angry with him last week when Richie tried to push him to talk on their way home and had accusingly told him to "go and talk to Sarah if you're so lonely" when Richie tried to talk to him. Richie had frozen by the clear look of anger and hurt in those eyes that he admired so much and for once in his fucking life couldn't say anything because he was so confused.

Eddie had stormed off then and hasn't spoken to him since.

It's not like Richie knew why Eddie despised her so much, she only started hanging out with Richie the past couple of weeks because her parents had gotten divorced and during a phase of rebellion, she began smoking with him.

Why would Eddie say that to him? God he felt so dense sometimes when it came to the shorter boy, he loved him so much but he didn't know why Eddie would be so hurt over him hanging out with the girl and it's not like Eddie was doing anything other than pushing him away.

Richie let the cigarette slip through his fingers to the ground before placing his boot on top of it and twisting his foot a little to make sure it was out. He was supposed to meet the losers at the bike rack, doing his damndest to keep his track record of being at least ten minutes late; almost always earning himself a scathing look from Eddie which was probably the most he was ever going to get from him again.

The teenager pushed himself up from the wall he was leaning against and hung his bag over one of his shoulders before walking as slow as he could towards their meeting place.

"Beverly I got something for you." Ben told the girl shyly as he handed over the carefully wrapped package in his hands. Richie smiled fondly when he saw his best friends all curiously peering over Bev's shoulders as she carefully unwrapped the present; all except the smallest member of their group.

"Sup fuckers." Richie greeted loudly, looking around to see if Eddie would somehow magically appear.

"Hey Trashmouth." Stan waved with a smirk and Richie rolled his eyes at the nickname.

"So not that I care or anything because I totally don't." The trashmouthed teen began and earned himself some fond eyerolls. "But where would one find one Eddie Spaghetti?" He asked in his fake British accent which was terrible truly but his friends smirked nonetheless.

"He stayed behind to talk to the gym teacher, which you would know if you didn't skip class." Stan remarked with a disapproving tone.

"Please have you seen me? Do I look like I need gym class?" Richie asked overdramatically and started flexing his muscles which just looked comical with his lanky limbs.

Richie towered over the rest of the losers as his growth spurt was quite generous to him, he was 6ft now and Eddie used to make jokes all the time ' _don't make me come up there to hit you_ ', at least when he was still acknowledging his existence.

"Nice try Richie but I think you have a long way to go before those can be called muscles." Bev sassed with a playful grin on her lips.

"Ouch Marsh, you really know how to make a gal feel special." Richie responded with feigned hurt, clutching his chest and pouting before sobering. "No seriously, Eddie's never later than me. Are we sure he's okay?" He asked, looking back at the school nervously.

"He's f-fine, He'll be out in a minute." Bill told him with a reassuring smile.

Richie nodded hesitantly, after another minute he began to get restless and ignored the other losers as they all talked about the cute charm bracelet Ben had given to Bev.

"I'm gonna go check on him." Richie said distractedly, ignoring their calls of his name as he ran into the school to go find their shortest member. This wasn't like Eddie, teacher or no teacher, Eddie was early to everything so being over ten minutes late to their meeting place was more than disconcerting.

He paused on his way to the gym when he heard the slam of a locker and he decided to check in the locker room in case Eddie had forgotten something.

"Shouldn't you be in the girls locker room fag?" A menacing voice hissed and Richie frowned worriedly, quickening his pace before sprinting when he heard the smack and the familiar pained groan.

"Fags belong in hell!" Another voice spat out before Richie turned the corner.

"Eddie!" Richie exclaimed when he took in the sight before him and all heads turned in his direction. All of Eddie's things had been emptied out of his bag and onto the floor, Eddie had blood trickling down his chin and he was being pressed against the locker by three of the jock types from their class.

"Richie." Eddie murmured shakily, and Richie's blood boiled when he noticed the boy's lip trembling.

"Get the fuck away from him!" Richie growled, barely thinking before dropping his bag on the floor and moving toward the jock closest to him, Andrew? Before punching him straight in the face, knocking him away and using the gap to pull Eddie out of their cage by the arm and ushering him behind him. "Eddie, get out of here." He told the shorter boy quickly.

"But-." Eddie tried to protest but Richie didn't even turn back to look at him.

"Go now!" Richie shouted as the jocks began to advance and as he heard the shorter boy run off; the trashmouth grabbed for the other jock who tried to give chase...Tony?

"What so you're into fags now Tozier?" Tony asked incredulously, the other jock; Jack Richie thinks, kicks him in his side so he had no choice but to let Tony go to cradle his side with a pained hiss.

"Takes one to know one asshole." Richie smirked, he may be taller than them but a three against one fight wasn't going to be easy.

"I aint no fag!" Tony growled, shoving Richie back into Jack who grabbed for both of his arms and pulled them behind his back. Richie struggled in his grip and grunted breathlessly when he felt the fists beating into his chest.

"Could have fooled me dickface." The trashmouthed teen growled, kicking Tony in the groin and causing the other teen to drop like a sack of bricks. Andrew punched Richie's face in response and knocked out one of his contacts and he hissed angrily.

Richie twisted and managed to cause Jack to lose his grip on his right arm before punching Andrew in the face and turning to shove Jack off him to the floor. Tony recovered enough to grab at his ankle, pulling and causing him to hit the ground hard.

Eddie looked around for something to help Richie with, he tried to keep his panic under control and he dialled Bill's number, waiting for Bill to answer and he stayed silent when their unofficial leader answered.

"Eddie? A-Are you okay? R-Richie went to look for you-." He could barely make out when the line went silent as Bill could hear the commotion.

"Fuck!" Richie groaned at the impact of hitting the floor. "Get the fuck off of me!" He shouted when Andrew and Jack pinned his arms down. Tony crawled over to sit on his chest. "Now who's the faggot?" He laughed manically as the jock on his chest kept punching his face, one fist appearing blurry and the other clearly coming towards to him.

"I told you Tozier." Tony growled, gripping Richie's collar and leaning in close. "I aint no fucking fag." He leaned back up, fist raised to hit him again and Richie braced himself before his eyes widened when he saw the half blurred half clear image of Eddie standing behind the jock.

He had a baseball bat in his hands that he was in the process of throwing his entire weight into hitting the jock and knocking him off the taller boy with a pained shout.

Richie used that opportunity to twist his body to kick Andrew from his left side before scrambling to his feet, kicking Jack for good measure and backing up into Eddie's front. Their hands linked quickly and the trashmouth grit his teeth as he tried to think of a way to keep them away from Eddie.

"You fags are dead!" Tony growled weakly as he pushed himself to his feet, Jack helping their leader up and Richie grinned a bloody smile as he herded Eddie more behind him. The smaller teen was squeezing his hand tightly and his breathing was slightly elevated which could turn worse if unchecked.

Richie opened his mouth to respond when he saw the three jocks advance but he didn't get a chance to say or do anything as he saw Beverly flying past him and she kicked Tony in the chest, Bill and Ben on either side of her, and Stan and Mike had rushed over to check on the two bruised boys.

"Don't you fucking touch them again." She growled menacingly, Bev could be scary as hell when she was protecting her friends and Richie grinned brightly.

"Sticking up for fags now Bev? Figures, you look like a dyke." Andrew remarked and Ben moved closer, halting when Bev placed her hand on his arm.

"Yo, Earth to Trashmouth." Stan hissed and Richie finally turned and looked down at Stan. "You okay?"

"Tis but a scratch." Richie said in a dreadful British accent. It wasn't a scratch, he was bruised and bleeding. He was pissed about losing his contact too as they weren't cheap to get but he was just glad Eddie was okay.

Speaking of Eddie, Richie looked down with his good eye to make sure the teen was okay, he had a trickle of blood leaking from his nose but otherwise seemed okay but he wasn't meeting anyone's eyes and the taller teen was worried he was suffering from some form of shock.

"Eddie, give me the bat." Bev said with a smirk, holding her hand out, Eddie hesitantly handed it over and Richie looked over again.

"You couldn't do much damage with that, surprised you can hold it with your girl strength." Jack giggled.

"Wanna try it." Bev hissed, holding the baseball bat up and ready to throw her full weight into it. Bill had managed to get his own bat out of his locker too, his was metal and had the word loser painted on the side. Each loser had signed their own names on it and Bill loved it but he was prepared to damage it to protect his friends.

Somehow Bill felt better when it was around as it kind of felt like each member of the Losers Club were with him when he was out playing in the school team.

"This isn't over." Tony hissed as he ushered the other cowards to slink off when they realised they were outnumbered.

"You're right!" Richie remarked. "Just know Tony that if you ever so much as _look_ at Eddie again, I'll tell the whole school we slept together and then I'll kick the shit out of you. Just like you did; I'll bring friends and I'll corner you one by one on your own." He grinned manically, moving forward when Tony's eyes widened in rage but Eddie's grip on the back of his shirt and squeeze of his hand kept him from going further.

"You c-can't do that!" He shouted incredulously.

"Can't I? Unlike you, I'm comfortable with my sexuality." Richie laughed. "You know people will believe me too because I'll have my friends to back it up." He winked and the three jocks ran with their tails between their legs.

"Jesus Richie, you really know how to get revenge." Ben said with a proud smile.

"Eh, that should scare him enough to leave us alone until after graduation." The taller teen replied with a dismissive shrug. "Remind me to never get on your bad side Bev." He told the girl with a grateful smile.

"You're always on my bad side." Bev replied with a fond smile and he grinned back. He sobered when he heard the shuddering breath beside him and he quickly reached for both sides of Eddie's face to make him look up at him.

"Hey hey Eds, look at me. You're okay, it's all okay now." He murmured reassuringly as the shorter boy succumbed to his panic attack and his breathing really picked up. "Where's your inhaler?" He asked frantically as he carefully patted the boy's jacket pockets and couldn't find it.

Richie guided Eddie to a sit on the floor so he wouldn't fall and he crouched beside him, hands still on his face and one of Eddie's hands clutching his wrist.

Richie made to move away to go towards Eddie's forgotten things on the floor but he stopped when Eddie let out a distressed noise and his breathing got worse.

"Haystack, get my bag quickly." Richie said urgently as he hushed the shorter boy reassuringly, their eyes having a conversation of their own. Ben rushed over with his bag and set it beside them and Richie used the hand that wasn't currently in a death grip to unzip the front pouch of his bag.

After a bit of wiggling, he finally managed to retrieve the spare inhaler he always had on hand and he moved it to his lips. Using his teeth to uncap the lid, he shook the inhaler and placed it in between Eddie's lips, the shorter boy's other hand moving to cover his as they pressed the trigger together and Eddie's airways cleared.

"Breathe with me okay." The taller teen spoke softly, breathing in and out slowly until Eddie began to copy and only stopping when his breathing rate returned to normal.

"Richie." Eddie murmured, he looked exhausted by the ordeal and Richie smiled in relief.

"Wow Eddie Spaghetti, you do know how to make a gal worry." He said softly, hand carefully stroking his cheek and the other losers took that as an opportunity to crowd the two; hugging them both as a group in relief.

"S-sorry for n-not coming sooner." Bill told the smaller boy guiltily and Eddie shook his head gently.

"It's okay, you couldn't have known." He told him reassuringly.

"Richie knew." Bev replied knowingly, a warm smile on her face as she looked over at her smoking buddy proudly.

"Well I'm always fashionably late, something Eds here is always quick to remind me of so there's no way he'd be later than me." The trashmouthed teen said with a helpless shrug, ducking his head slightly as he backed up and moved away to where Eddie's things had been thrown onto the floor.

Eddie watched the taller teen anxiously, not liking the distance between the two after their ordeal and he frowned worriedly when he noticed that Richie was confidently picking things up from one side and fumbling on the other side.

Stan helped the shorter boy stand up and Eddie moved over towards the taller boy quickly.

"Richie?" Eddie asked quietly and Richie looked up questioningly. "Did you lose one of your contacts?" He asked with a concerned tone.

"Yeah, how'd you know?" He answered with a surprised brow and Eddie smiled lightly as he reached down for the glasses case on the floor and opened it to offer Richie's old glasses out to him. "I thought I told you to throw those out." Richie said with a smirk.

"Well I wasn't going to throw them out in case something like this happened asshole." Eddie snarked as he insistently held them towards the taller boy.

"And this is why you're my favourite loser, sorry Bev." Richie grinned, reaching up to carefully pull out his other contact and placed his glasses on his face. "Fuck it's good to see in 3D again." He said as he placed the last of Eddie's things into his bag and offered it out to the shorter boy.

"Thanks Rich." Eddie said softly, a light blush shimmering on his cheeks as their hands brushed together when he reached for the bag strap.

"Anytime Eddieo Spaghettio." Richie replied with a wink, frowning a little as the movement hurt his face and Eddie rolled his eyes.

"I hate you." Eddie said exasperatedly as he tried to hold back a smirk but there was a concerned frown tugging on his lips as he noticed the wince. "Are you okay?"

"My my Edward, ah you worried about me?" Richie asked in his terrible southern belle act and Eddie threw his hands up in the air.

"Don't know why I even bother." The shorter boy groaned, turning away to look their friends but not moving any further from the taller teen as he struggled to his feet and Eddie did not miss the way Richie was cradling his ribs. "Did they break any?" Eddie demanded, moving to frantically feel around Richie's chest.

"Ouch, not so hard please." Richie hissed as Eddie's fingers pressed around to check for breaks. "I'm a little delicate here Eds." The teen added, gritting his teeth through the pain and flipping Bev off when she smirked at his complaining.

"D-Do you n-need to go to the hosp-pital?" Bill asked worriedly.

"Nothing feels broken." Eddie reported in relief.

"Surprised they didn't break with the way you were abusing me." Richie griped and Eddie huffed.

"Stop being such a baby, I needed to know if you were okay." The shorter teen said defensively, cheeks turning pink when he realised how close they were and he averted his eyes and clutched the strap of his bag a little tighter.

"If you don't need to go to the hospital, do you guys wanna head to the barrens now?" Mike asked with a concerned smile.

Richie looked down at Eddie, the blood drying on his face and the way the boy seemed to be hesitant to step too far from him. Richie was bad at understanding people sometimes but even he could tell that Eddie wanted to get him alone to say something so he shook his head lightly.

"Nah, I'm gonna drive Eds home. Might come out later though." Richie replied casually and Eddie ducked his head , fiddling with the zip of his shoulder bag.

"You text me when you get home." Bev told Richie sternly then turned to Eddie to give him the same stern look. "You too." She added in a softer tone.

"Okay mom!" Richie sassed and earned himself a glare.

"Fine, guess the next time you have no cigarettes left I won't give you one." Bev giggled when Richie let out a dramatic gasp.

"You wouldn't." He cried out, clutching his chest.

"Be afraid trashmouth, be very afraid." She said with a shit eating grin on her face and Richie held out his fingers in a crucifix motion, both giggling good-naturedly to each other.

"You okay Eddie?" Bill murmured, ignoring their bantering friends in favour of moving closer to their shortest member.

"Yeah, little shaken up but I'm okay Bill." Eddie mumbled back, their leader smiling in relief as he looked Eddie over to check for anymore injuries. "They only managed to slam me up against the locker and hit me once before Richie showed up." Bill gave him a warm smile when he noticed Eddie looking over at Richie in awe.

"So what's the deal with that Sarah girl? She's stolen my smoking buddy." Bev asked with a raised brow and Richie instinctively looked at Eddie before quickly looking back at Beverly. Eddie's grip on his bag strap became tighter and a frown appeared on his face no matter how hard he tried not to.

"She asked me for a cigarette a few weeks ago, her parents just got divorced and my parents aren't divorced but you know how they are." Richie explained with a dismissive wave.

"Okay?" Bev asked, obviously implying she wanted more from his explanation and Richie shrugged.

"There's nothing more to say, she finds me smoking behind the school; asks me for a cigarette and talks about her troubles and then she leaves." The trashmouthed teen replied honestly.

"That's it?" Eddie asked with a raised brow, tone of his voice heavily implying that he didn't believe that there wasn't more to the story.

"That's it I swear, she always seemed a bit happier afterwards so I wasn't gonna be a dick and turn her away. Plus she's a good person; she's just going through some stuff." Richie said earnestly, eyes bright as he tried to convey to Eddie that that was the truth as it seemed important to Eddie that there was nothing else and he smiled when Eddie's shoulders slumped slightly in relief.

"Well shit, I thought she hated me or something as she always walked off whenever I came over." Bev said sympathetically.

"Nah, she just didn't want to talk about it with anyone else around." Richie told her with a shrug.

"Well now that we've cleared that up." Stan interjected with a knowing grin towards Eddie. "We're gonna head out to the barrens now." He added, walking towards his friends to hug them before heading towards the door and the other losers began to filter out after hugging their two friends as well.

After Bill left with a lingering concerned smile, Richie turned towards Eddie and led him towards the sinks with a gentle hand on his arm. Eddie looked up at the taller teen in confusion when Richie wouldn't meet his eyes but he allowed himself to be lifted onto the counter.

Richie moved away to grab some paper towels, he turned on the hot tap and dipped the edge in the warm water before moving to stand in between Eddie's legs and dabbing at the blood on his face.

Eddie couldn't help but stare at Richie's face; bruises were already forming and darkening on Richie's eye and cheeks. A comfortable silence fell between them as Richie concentrated on his task, making sure the blood was completely gone with each gentle stroke of the paper towel and he dabbed the area dry with the other side.

When he was finished, he threw the paper towel into the bin beside them, Richie admired his work for a bit to make sure there wasn't a trace left and his eyes finally met Eddie's and lingered. They stared at each other, Eddie had at some point held on to each side of Richie's open shirt that he'd worn over a t-shirt and the trashmouthed teen let out a tired breath.

"Let's go." He murmured, a look in his eyes that promised they would talk later but he wanted to get them out of there first.

"Aren't you going to clean yourself up too?" Eddie asked quietly with a worried brow.

"Nah, I can wait. Don't really want to wait around in case those assholes come back, three against two isn't really gonna be a fair fight." Richie sighed, helping Eddie down and reluctantly moving out of his space as he turned to walk out the locker room door; holding the door open for the shorter boy as went.

"Two?" The shorter boy asked softly, he liked that even though Richie could be protective, he didn't underestimate Eddie.

"Hell yeah the two of us, you think I can defend myself? Pretty sure you saved my life with the way you ran in with that baseball bat." Richie said proudly and Eddie looked away with a light blush spreading on his cheeks.

"I couldn't just leave you to deal with them on your own." The shorter boy insisted, like it was something anyone would have done, like it didn't matter.

"You could have, even if it was to run and get the others but you didn't." Richie pointed out with a fond tone promptly ruining the gentle atmosphere by grinning and saying: "You jumped in like a superhero: The Amazing Spaghetti Man!" His laughter broke off into pained chuckles as he cradled his ribs. "Fuck it hurts to laugh."

"Yeah I hope it hurts." Eddie growled but he couldn't help the smirk growing on his face.

"Well that is just cruel Eds, you're supposed to pity me." Richie said overdramatically and Eddie rolled his eyes.

"Oh believe me I do." The shorter teen replied sarcastically and Richie snorted.

They walked out towards the parking lot and Richie started searching through his pockets for his keys. He unlocked his old pick-up truck and the two teens got in, Richie sat back in his seat for a moment as he tried to get into a position that was comfortable.

"Are you gonna be okay to drive?" Eddie asked in concern as he noticed the taller teen holding his breath through the pain.

"Don't worry Eds, I'll just get your mom to take care of me later." Richie said with an exaggerated wink and Eddie let out a surprised snort.

"Beep beep asshole." Eddie retorted as he desperately tried not to laugh.

Richie merely let out a snort, he took a deep breath as a pressed the key into the ignition and turned it. He carefully drove out onto the road and started to drive towards Eddie's house, it hurt to move his body but he knew that once he left Eddie home he could go home and collapse in bed.

The silence in the car was a little awkward; there was a bit of tension in the air as each teen had things to say to the other but either didn't know where to start or were too afraid of being the one to begin the conversation.

Eddie observed the way Richie watched the road; fingers tapping lightly on the wheel like he couldn't quite keep himself still and his brow furrowed when he noticed that Richie's face was pinched.

Richie pulled up outside Eddie's house, leaning back in his seat with the engine running and he turned to look at Eddie with a small smile. Eddie lingered, wanting to go to bed and sleep but not wanting Richie to leave before they had the inevitable conversation.

"Thanks for taking me home." Eddie said softly and Richie shrugged. "And I also wanted to thank you for showing up earlier; pretty sure I'd look a lot worse if you hadn't."

"It was nothing really." Richie replied and averted his eyes to the road in front of him. "You know I wouldn't let anyone hurt you."

"I know." Eddie responded with an affectionate look that Richie missed as he was still looking away.

"Well I don't know about you Eddie Spaghetti but I'm beat...you wanna talk later?" The trashmouthed teen said around a yawn and Eddie wanted to be able to say 'sure' and let Richie peace out of this conversation but he couldn't help the feeling of hurt that swelled in his chest.

"I feel like we need to talk about it now though." Eddie murmured and Richie finally met his eyes with a concerned look. "Like if we put it off any longer...we won't ever talk about it."

"You're the one who wouldn't talk to me for like three weeks." Richie burst out, his eyes widening as he didn't mean to say it out loud but it had been bothering him this whole time and he just wanted to know why.

"I know." Eddie snapped before looking down in shame. "I know." He said softer, sadder and he hid his face in his hands.

"Eds." Richie said gently, hand reaching over to try and pry Eddie's hands from his face but the boy turned towards the car door so he couldn't. "So it's back to ignoring then."He added with a sigh and Eddie turned angrily, eyes raw as he had rubbed them and he looked up at Richie defiantly.

"Fuck you Richie." The shorter teen growled defensively.

"Nah, I'm saving that for your mom." Richie said automatically, dismissively because he was so tired and maybe he was feeling more than a little hurt himself.

"You know what? Fine, let's never talk." Eddie hissed as he opened the door stubbornly and began to walk towards his house.

Richie sighed tiredly, face falling between his arms resting on the wheel and thankfully he didn't trigger the horn with his face. He felt the emotions building up and he took a few deep breaths as he tried to calm himself down enough to drive home.

He startled when he heard the soft knock on his window and Eddie was there, looking guilty and sad. He didn't even wait for Richie to say or do anything; he opened the driver's side door and turned the key so the engine stopped. Pulling the key out, he pocketed it and gave a little tug to Richie's shirt sleeve before turning to walk into his house.

"What the hell?" Richie mumbled softly, easing himself out of the car and following the shorter teen into the house. Eddie was waiting for him by the door and wordlessly grabbed his sleeve, pulling the taller boy upstairs with him and herding him into the bathroom.

Richie said nothing, watching the shorter boy with a surprised look as Eddie moved around the bathroom, he pushed the trashmouthed teen lightly so he could sit on the closed toilet seat and pulled out the first aid kit from the cupboard under the sink.

Eddie dabbed some antibacterial cream onto a piece of cloth before moving over to the taller teen, gently taking his glasses off and placing them on the counter beside the sink. He dabbed the cloth on Richie's face, frowning a little when Richie would let out little hisses when the cloth brushed over a particular sensitive area.

When Eddie was finished cleaning up Richie's face of any blood, he met Richie's eyes and grimaced at the darkening bruises. He reached his hand out to touch his face, hesitating for a breath before gently stroking his bruised cheek and Richie closed his eyes as he leaned into the touch.

"I'm sorry." Eddie murmured, and Richie opened his eyes to look at the shorter boy's watery eyes.

"It's okay." He whispered, pulling the teen in for a hug and Eddie went willingly; arms surrounding Richie's neck as he brushed a hand through his hair.

"It's not Rich." He replied emotionally and Richie just squeezed him tighter without hurting him.

"Why can't it be?" Richie asked as he reluctantly pulled back to look up at him, Eddie's arms still around his neck as he stood in between the taller teen's legs.

"I'm scared." He finally answered after a beat.

"I'm not that scary am I?" Richie half-joked, earning himself a small smile as Eddie softly shook his head. "Honestly Eds, I'm scared too." He added with a self-depreciating smile.

"Richie Tozier scared? Who is this imposter?" Eddie joked weakly and Richie grinned.

"Hard to believe, I'm pure." Richie said with a smirk before sobering and looking down for a few moments before looking back up at the beautiful boy in front of him that he's been in love with since he was thirteen. "I'm scared of losing you."

Eddie looked startled as his lips parted, arms tightening a fraction and Richie let out a humourless chuckle.

"I never wanted to have this conversation you know?" Richie murmured and Eddie frowned with hurt, moving out of Richie's hold but the taller teen reached out to grip his arm. "Please don't take that the wrong way."

"What way do you want me to take it?" Eddie asked in confused hurt and Richie cursed lightly as he shook his head.

"I'm not good at this Eddie, you know me better than anyone. Hell we've been best friends since we were nine years old and I never wanted it to end with me fucking it up by doing something I shouldn't." He let out another humourless chuckle but it was tinged with emotion as he was desperately trying not to cry.

"What like make mom jokes and call me Eds and Eddie Spaghetti even when I tell you off?" Eddie murmured lightly which earned him a weak smrk.

"Don't lie, I know you secretly love it when I call you those things and who says I'm joking when I say those things about your mom." Richie said with a wink.

"Be serious Richie." Eddie tried to steer the conversation back to the topic at hand.

"Eddie I..." Richie cursed quietly again as Eddie's eyes widened, like the answer to life itself was hanging on Richie's next few sentences. "When you stopped talking to me I just couldn't understand why, like what did I do? Was it the jokes about your mom? Or something else?"

Eddie winced slightly as he hesitantly met the taller teen's eyes. "I thought you were going out with Sarah." He admitted guiltily.

"Why? I told you earlier, there's nothing going on there. _Believe_ me, she's not my type." He said earnestly.

"I know but I was being stupid." Eddie grumbled as he stared down at his shoes.

"Eddie, look at me." Richie murmured as he placed a gentle palm on Eddie's cheek and he guided the teen's face up to meet his eyes. He stroked the shorter teen's cheek as he stared back with an insecure expression and Richie smiled softly. "I'm sorry if this changes things, if you hate me I completely understand and if you want your space that's fine too-."

"What is it Rich?" Eddie interrupted, knowing that Richie would just fall into the trap of rambling if left unchecked.

Richie took a deep breath, lapsing into silence for a few moments as he looked down to gather himself, hand still on Eddie's cheek and then he looked up at the most beautiful person he's ever met. He was ready.

"I love you Eds, I've loved you for years! I was always afraid of this conversation because I was afraid you would think I was disgusting and never wanna speak to me again." He was breathless after he'd blurted everything, Eddie was frozen; eyes wide and he was trembling under Richie's hands.

Just as Richie had managed to school his features into an emotionless mask after the silence had become suffocating and he began to pull away, Eddie let out a distressed noise and he leaned in to kiss Richie quickly.

Their lips crashed together and it only took Richie a few seconds to realise what was happening before the hand that was resting on the other boy's arm had slid in behind his back to pull him closer.

All too quickly, their lips parted and Eddie looked up with a wide smile and he hugged Richie tightly.

"I love you too Rich." Eddie told him, voice muffled by Richie's shoulder and the trashmouthed teen began running his hand up and down his back, causing him to sag into his arms.

"Just don't tell your mom, told her she was the love of my life and I don't think she's willing to share." Richie said with a half-hearted chuckle, Eddie pulled back to glare at the taller teen but couldn't quite keep the smile of his face.

"I hate you." Eddie groaned and Richie just snickered tiredly.

"No you don't, you love me." He replied smugly and Eddie rolled his eyes.

"I take it back." The shorter boy snarked and Richie pushed himself to a stand, face grimacing a little at the pain and he grabbed his glasses from the counter and placed them back on his face.

"No take backs Eds." Richie replied with a pained smirk, Eddie looked up at him worriedly and he pulled the taller teen by the hand into his room.

"Lie down, I'm gonna bring you some painkillers." The shorter boy murmured with a concerned smile and Richie tiredly flopped down unceremoniously onto his back letting out a little groan as he toed off his shoes, feet touching the floor. Eddie hurried downstairs to get a glass of water and some pain meds from the medicine cupboard before hurrying upstairs.

Sonia Kaspbrak was at work today, something Eddie thanked all the deities for as there would be no way in hell she wouldn't notice the slight bruising on his face.

Eddie smiled fondly when he saw Richie lying on his bed, eyes closed and a piece of hair curled around his eyes. He gently placed the glass of water and meds on the bedside table before moving closer to the taller teen and brushing the piece of hair away gently.

A smile grew on Richie's as he peeked one eye open, reaching up to stroke Eddie's cheek and he guided him closer until their lips pressed together softly. Richie felt a sort of swelling elation in his chest as one of Eddie's hands was carefully placed beside his head and the other slid into his hair as their kiss had become more heated and desperate.

Eddie sank into the kiss, Richie's other hand had slid up his back and his tongue brushed over his lips and suddenly their connection was deeper. There was no fight for dominance as they had a feeling of ' _finally_ ' as if everything they had done over the years had led to this moment; there was nothing else but the other boy's touch.

"Ah!" Richie broke off with a hiss as he'd pulled Eddie a bit too hard, causing the boy to slip and place his full weight onto Richie's torso.

"Shit Richie, I'm sorry." Eddie blurted as he scrambled to get off of the taller teen so he wouldn't cause him any more pain.

"Nah it's okay." Richie groaned out, he curled onto his side in order to push himself up the bed and moved himself onto 'his' side of the twin bed. Eddie looked down worriedly, not daring to move closer in case he hurt him and Richie let out a warm huff as he pulled Eddie in to lie on 'his' side of the bed.

"I'm not hurting you, am I?" Eddie asked warily as he scooted as far away as he safely could without falling off the bed. Richie looked over at him and smiled, reaching over and pulling the shorter teen closer.

"It's okay, I'll let you know if it hurts." Richie murmured softly as he wanted to have the other boy close, Eddie eased himself closer and rested his head on Richie's shoulder. Richie turned his head so their foreheads were touching lightly at an angle and the two boys relaxed at the contact.

"So this is happening." Eddie whispered with a small grin on his face and Richie snorted as he linked their fingers together.

"It certainly is...Only took some years, some douchebags and a fight to get here." The trashmouthed teen replied lightly and Eddie squeezed his hand.

"I never thought this would happen. I wanted to be happy with just being your friend but when I saw you hanging out with Sarah...I just couldn't handle it and I avoided you because it just hurt so much to see you with someone else." Eddie admitted quietly and his eyes closed with a content smile after Richie pressed a kiss to his forehead before brushing their foreheads together again.

"You and I both know that your mom is the only woman for me." The trashmouthed teen joked and he smirked when Eddie rolled over onto his stomach and leaned over the taller boy with narrowed eyes.

"You are the worst." Eddie growled and rolled his eyes when Richie had a self-satisfied smirk on his face. "If you weren't so hurt right now, I'd kick you out of this bed."

"That's okay, I'm sure your mom would let me snuggle with her." Richie retorted; grinning wildly.

"Beep beep you asshole." Eddie snorted, giggling happy as Richie wiggled his eyebrows but their laughter slowed as Richie winced again as the dark bruises on his face were pulled. "Here." Eddie said quickly as he reached over for the pills and glass of water on the table and Richie took them gratefully, Eddie held his hand out for the glass before placing it back onto the table.

"Thanks Eds." Richie smiled gratefully and Eddie brushed the hair out of the taller teen's face with a gentle hand and an affectionate look in response.

"Are you still gonna go out to the barrens later?" Eddie asked curiously.

"Only if you come with me." Richie murmured with a fond grin as he leaned up a little and Eddie took the hint, kissing him softly.

"I'll think about it, I kind of just want to sleep right now. It's been a long day." The shorter teen replied with a little yawn that he hid behind his hand.

"I'm the same...Shit! Forgot to text Bev!" Richie said as he struggled to get his phone out of his pocket without dislodging Eddie. He sent her a quick text to say both he and Eddie were fine and at Eddie's house.

His phone buzzed almost immediately with Bev replying that she was glad they were okay and that she hoped everything went well with a wink emoji. Richie smirked, cheeks reddening as he looked over at Eddie who was kicking off his shoes and shifting around to snuggle comfortably into his side.

Richie set his phone onto the bedside table, taking off his glasses to set them beside it and he turned to lay on his side and placed an arm over Eddie's chest. He kissed Eddie's cheek, receiving a warm smile and a light press of lips against his as Eddie cuddled as close as possible without hurting the taller boy.

Richie fell asleep first, the pain meds probably had a hand in that but Eddie couldn't bring himself to tear his eyes away from his sleeping face. He couldn't believe that he could have this now, Richie was his and they didn't even need to talk about it to know that they each belonged to the other now.

Eddie froze when he heard the telltale signs of his mother entering their home, seeing them in bed together wouldn't have come as a surprise to her as they would stay at each other's places so often over the years that she had begrudgingly accepted it; even if Eddie had been avoiding Richie for a few weeks.

"Eddie, are you home?" Sonia called and Eddie eased himself out of the taller teen's grip, earning a little displeased moan but thankfully he didn't wake.

The shorter boy checked himself in the mirror, the bruising on his face was minor and barely noticeable and he rushed out of his room to greet his mother.

"Yes mom." He called out to her as he walked downstairs and helped her bring in the shopping.

"Where's Richie? I saw his truck outside." His mother asked curiously and Eddie kept his face slightly averted as he followed her into the kitchen with her bags.

"He fell asleep upstairs." Eddie murmured and Sonia tittered as she gestured for her son to help her unpack the groceries into the cupboards.

"That boy is so lazy, I hope he isn't coming down with something. You know that's not good for you, you're very prone to colds Eddie bear." She complained and Eddie rolled his eyes behind her back as he placed the last of her things into the fridge.

"No mom, he's just tired. I think he stayed up late last night to study." _Fat chance_. Eddie thought with a small smirk.

"Surprised he has the attention span to do that." She remarked and Eddie snickered lightly.

"You're right, he probably doesn't." Eddie replied with a fond grin.

"Well is he staying the night? I need to know if he's having dinner here." Sonia asked curiously.

"He..." Eddie froze, what does he say? "Yeah I think he'll stay the night if that's okay with you?" He added quietly.

"Sure, what time do you think he'll be awake?" She enquired as she looked at the clock on the wall.

"I think we'll be okay until after your programmes." Eddie told her with an innocent smile; Sonia's first set of shows would finish around seven so he could squeeze a few hours nap in there.

"Okay, don't sleep too long I don't want you to ruin your sleep routine; it's not good for you and you could get sick easily without a decent sleep schedule." Sonia informed him worriedly.

"We wont, thanks mom." He said quickly as he hurried over to kiss her cheek before hurrying upstairs and closing his door quietly. He smiled at the taller teen who still had his arm over Eddie's space and he eased himself into bed and lifted the arm over him.

Richie let out a sleepy sigh and the arm squeezed around him as it pulled him closer. The shorter teen smiled happily as he snuggled in and before long the warmth from the other boy's body had him slipping under.

Just like he was the first to fall asleep, Richie was the first to stir and he smiled fondly as his bleary eyes blinked open and was met by a familiar sight. A familiar sight he'd always been in love with but this time it was different, this time he was allowed to look and hold and kiss if he wanted to.

He moved his hand up from its place on the other boy's side and brushed it through Eddie's soft hair. He then slid the hand down to stroke over the boy's cheek gently and Eddie stirred lightly with a snuffle and he buried his face into the trashmouthed teen's shoulder.

"Morning sunshine." Richie mumbled happily and Eddie let out a tired groan in protest at being woken up. The taller teen snickered lightly as he knew how grumpy Eddie could get when he first woke up.

"Don't wanna get up." Eddie moaned but it was muffled by Richie's shoulder and the taller teen rubbed his back softly.

"You have to." He replied with a smirk and Eddie pulled back a little to look up at him.

"Don't wanna." He pouted and Richie almost died on the spot with how adorable he found it and he began pinching the shorter boy's cheek.

"You're so cute Eds." Richie said, chuckling when Eddie lazily swatted at his hand and glared at him.

"Don't call me that, just because we're together does not mean you can get away with that shit." Eddie grumped and Richie's grin widened.

"Oh so we're together now are we?" He replied smugly and if it was possible, Eddie's glare narrowed further.

"Yes trashmouth and I'm already regretting it." He said grouchily.

"Divorcing me already? Well that's a shame; I had already decided the names of our three Chihuahuas." Richie said and let out a forlorn sigh. "And I had just signed the lease on our new house too...Just say you'll always remember me Eds." He said overdramatically and Eddie rolled his eyes but he couldn't help the smile tugging on his lips.

"Chihuahuas huh?" Eddie asked with a snicker and Richie smirked.

"What you don't think Chihuahuas are the perfect babies?" Richie asked innocently but there was a glint in his eyes.

"No, besides I kinda prefer cats." Eddie said incredulously and the taller teen let out a snort.

"Damn, I knew I should have gone with the cats...Well, I suppose that's why you're divorcing me." He replied knowingly.

"Shut up you idiot." The shorter teen chuckled, biting his lip to hide his affectionate grin as he shook his head.

"Hey, you're the one that filed for divorce. You really need to make up your mind Edward; somebody might get the wrong idea and take you away from me." Richie sassed and Eddie rolled his eyes, leaning up to kiss the trashmouthed teen to shut him up. Richie immediately melted into the kiss, Eddie's hands reaching for his face causing the taller boy to wince and their lips parted too quickly for Richie's liking.

"Does it hurt?" Eddie asked anxiously, eyes wide with concern as he took in the bruises that had darkened considerably since they had fallen asleep.

"A little but it's okay, give it a week or two and I'll be as good as new." Richie replied reassuringly but it did nothing to quell the worries growing in the pit of the shorter boy's stomach.

"I'm scared Richie." Eddie murmured nervously and Richie hushed him with a quick kiss to his lips.

"Hey, we'll be okay. As soon as graduation is over, we'll never have to see those assholes again." Richie told him, eyes filled with conviction which made the shorter boy feel a little better.

"Are you really gonna tell the whole school that you slept with Tony?" Eddie asked with a raised brow.

"Hell yeah, if that asshole so much as looks at you wrong I'll write it all over the walls if I have to. You already know I have no shame." The taller boy said with a wink.

"But what if that makes it worse?" He replied nervously.

"Eds, it's gonna be okay. There's nothing I wouldn't do for you alright?" He insisted and Eddie's cheeks turned an adorable shade of pink as he looked up at Richie with wide eyes.

"So I don't suppose not calling me Eds or Eddie Spaghetti anymore would fall under that would it?" He asked with a small smirk and Riche let out a sigh.

"Sorry Eddie Spaghetti, no can do. You are the light of my life but that would be a deal breaker for me." He informed him with a smug smile.

"Ugh and just when I thought you were so close to being the perfect boyfriend." Eddie retorted as he rolled his eyes and Richie laughed lightly.

"Boyfriend?" Richie asked with a raised brow but his eyes were hopeful and he smiled warmly when Eddie shyly nodded his head. "Well shit, now I'll have to break up with your mom, think she'll be alright without me?" Eddie swatted his arm softly with a glare.

"Why am I with you again?" Eddie asked and Richie kissed him quickly, Eddie losing all train of thought as he leaned in eagerly and their tongues met in a desperate dance as they practically tried to absorb one another on the bed.

"Because you love me." Richie replied in awe as he pulled back and Eddie looked back at the taller teen affectionately.

"Yeah." Eddie whispered, sobering when he heard his mother puttering around the kitchen. Her shows must have been over and he sat up quickly, horrified and panicked about how he was going to explain Richie's injuries to his mother.

"Eddie? What is it?" Richie asked worriedly, struggling to push himself up before rubbing Eddie's back in soft strokes.

"Mom knows you're staying tonight but I don't know how to tell her what happened." Eddie mumbled nervously.

"Yeah that might cause some problems." Richie said with an awkward grin. "You could just tell her I've moved away; I hear France is nice this time of year." He added thoughtfully.

"Shut up she already saw your truck outside so she knows you're here." Eddie replied as he rolled his eyes.

"Not if I sneak out the window." The trashmouthed teen suggested.

"No, you're more than likely to fall and hurt yourself in this state." He replied irritably, turning to look over Richie's face with a sad expression. "I'm not sure what she'll do when she sees you."

"Hey, it'll be okay. We'll just tell her I lost a fight to a flock of seagulls for a bite of my sandwich." Richie said with a little smirk as he tried to cheer the shorter boy up.

"Rich, we don't live near the sea." Eddie replied with a small giggle.

"There are enough rivers around here to count and it's not like your mom gets out enough to know that." Richie said and Eddie spotted the signs of a mom joke and immediately placed his hand over Richie's face.

"I swear to god Richie, if the next words out of your mouth involve being in bed or whatever the hell else with my mom, I'm leaving you." The shorter boy warned and Richie waggled his eyebrows causing the other boy to groan.

"Eddie?! Are you awake? Dinner is almost ready." Sonia called up and Eddie's face shot towards the door so fast he pulled something on his neck.

"Be right down mom!" Eddie shouted back, his breathing picking up slightly and Richie reached over to stroke his cheek. Looking back at the taller teen, he could see the warm reassuring eyes of his boyfriend and he removed the hand on his mouth quickly.

"Tell her the truth?" Richie suggested hesitantly.

"Are you crazy? My mom would be at the principal's office first thing on Monday morning!" Eddie replied anxiously.

"Well fine...we tell her it was just me. She already knows I talk a lot of shit, maybe my big mouth got me into more trouble than usual." The taller teen said with a helpless shrug. "This way she's still worried about you but you won't get locked up for like six weeks." He added with a dark look.

"Ugh don't remind me." Eddie moaned worriedly. When Eddie broke his arm a few years back, Sonia Kaspbrak had locked him in the house and in her anger had stopped him from seeing his friends as she blamed them for it. Although, Richie would sneak in through his bedroom window to see the boy after Sonia had fallen asleep.

Eddie couldn't help but smile fondly, if Richie hadn't snuck in so many times to see him he didn't know if he would have survived the isolation. Finding out that his illnesses were fake; his mother had manipulated him into being weak and sick and taking pills that weren't real. Richie had saved him in ways that the taller boy would never know.

"Where did you go?" Richie murmured as he brushed his hand through his hair with a little frown.

Eddie said nothing, he just looked at the teen in front of him with a fond smile and he leaned in to nudge their noses together lightly, lips barely touching.

"I love you." Eddie whispered as allowed the taller teen to close the miniscule distance between them tenderly. Eddie knew that no one would believe that Richie could be so gentle, his trashmouth ways disguised how he really felt but Eddie knew how his words affected the taller boy.

Richie pulled back reluctantly, no doubt Sonia would get impatient soon and barge right in. He looked down at the other boy with an affectionate smile, lips pressing against the shorter boy's forehead before pulling back and whispering his own ' _I love you too Eds_ '.

"Eddie! Tell that Richie one to stop being so lazy and come down." Sonia shouted impatiently.

Richie let out a surprised snicker and Eddie shook his head, cheeks warming in embarrassment.

"You're mom _knows_ me." Richie exclaimed jokingly, goofy grin on his face head close to the other boys and Eddie rolled his eyes as he carefully shoved the taller teen's face away from him.

"Shut up...Guess we can't put it off forever." Eddie mumbled and Richie smiled reassuringly. He pushed himself to a stand, hiding his face from the shorter boy so he wouldn't see how much it hurt and his hands were trembling slightly as he held them in fists out of sight.

His torso was on fire, the bruising was probably worse but Richie knew it would only hurt for a few days from prior experience when faced with Henry Bowers and his gang. He startled out of his thoughts when he felt the gentle touch at his back and he turned stiffly, observing the pinched features of his boyfriend.

"I'm okay, like I said; I'll be as good as new in like a week." Richie mumbled.

"Just don't push yourself okay?" Eddie said worriedly, reaching down to sooth his fists open so he could link their fingers together and Richie's chest swelled with affection at the gesture.

"I won't. Now let's go before your mom calls the police and sends out a search party." The taller teen said, lightly sliding his hands out of Eddie's grip and pulling the shorter boy close to hug him as carefully as possible before moving towards the door.

"Maybe I should go first." Eddie informed him as he hurried to open the door before he could get there and Richie merely snorted with a nod.

"Finally, I thought you'd never co-" Sonia Kaspbrak broke off to scream in shock at Richie's face and Eddie winced whilst Richie held his hands up in a placating gesture.

"I'm okay Mrs K; ran into some people at school and let's just say they weren't too happy to see me." Richie explained quickly and she immediately looked over at Eddie with a disapproving expression.

"Why didn't you tell me Eddie? He could have internal bleeding or anything." Eddie's mom told him off angrily.

"We've already been to the hospital Mrs K." Richie cut in to save Eddie from coming up with a worse excuse. "They told us that I was just bruised up and I'd need to just rest for the next few days."

"Even so, you lied to me Eddie." She replied to her son and he anxiously looked down at his feet.

"Sorry mom, I didn't know how to tell you." Eddie said quickly and she let out a sigh.

"Do your parents know?" She asked the taller teen and he nodded quickly.

"Yes of course, they're going to the principal's office first thing on Monday." Richie lied easily and she calmed down somewhat and nodded.

"Good, are you sure you aren't hurt Eddie." Sonia asked her son nervously and he nodded.

"I called Eddie as soon as it happened and he came to get me, they were gone by the time he came and got me." Richie told her smoothly and Eddie relaxed when she seemed to believe him.

"Alright, well I'm sure you're both hungry so let's eat." She said, turning her back on them as she began to sort out their plates and Eddie took that opportunity to look up at Richie in relief.

Richie met his eyes and winked with a reassuring smile, squeezing his arm lightly before joining Sonia to help her bring the plates into the living room and set them down on the coffee table. Eddie picked up their drinks, grabbing some more pain medication for Richie and followed them into the living room as he sat down beside the taller teen who had already eased himself down on the couch.

They ate their dinner in a peaceful silence as Sonia watched her programmes, she eyed Richie worriedly every so often as Eddie urged him to eat before he could take his meds and she sighed internally at the friends her son chosen.

Ever since Eddie had found out about the 'gazebos', he had refused to believe his mother about any of his illnesses and his inhaler was the only thing he kept in case of emergencies with his anxiety. No matter how hard she tried her son wouldn't back down and she was afraid that he would either run away or wait until he was of legal age and disown her.

As much as she wanted to control him, he would be leaving for college soon and she would have no say in his life. After Eddie's father had left her for a younger and prettier woman and completely forgot about them; she had placed a heavy burden on her child so he would be solely dependent on her.

That obviously hadn't worked out and so the only way to keep him in her life was to give him a little bit of freedom, don't get her wrong she would still try to drop little hints of manipulation but Eddie barely acknowledged them anymore and that scared her.

Scared her enough to accept certain things in his life.

Eddie still had a touch of OCD, he still required his inhaler in high pressure situations but he had looked happier and therefore had become a little lax in his germaphobia.

Eddie couldn't help the fond grin that split on his face when Richie sighed happily after his last bite of food. The taller teen quickly took the pain meds before leaning back in his seat with a content smile before turning to Sonia.

"Your cooking is as spectacular as ever Mrs K." Richie announced cheerfully and she rolled her eyes with a smile tugging on her lips.

Eddie soon finished his own plate and he reached over for Richie's on the table and took them into the kitchen, placing them into the dishwasher before walking back into the room.

"Are you finished with your plate mom?" Eddie asked as his mother still had her plate resting on her lap and she nodded as she wordlessly handed it over to him while she was enraptured by what was happening on the screen.

When he came back in from the kitchen, both boys sat in the living room awkwardly; not knowing the right amount of time to sit there without being rude if they left and after ten minutes Eddie couldn't take it anymore.

He nudged Richie's foot with his own and the taller teen looked over in confusion and Eddie nodded his head towards the stairs. Richie wordlessly taking the hint with a small smile and he pushed himself up to stand with a hiss so quiet that only Eddie could hear it as he was standing so close.

"We're gonna go upstairs mom, probably watch a movie or something." Eddie told her and she nodded before turning her head back to the TV.

Both boys walked upstairs and Eddie closed and locked his bedroom door behind them. He gestured for Richie to go ahead and lie down whilst he set up his laptop so they could watch something on Netflix.

Richie already looked sleepy again as Eddie eased himself into the bed beside him. Eddie stuck on ' _Tucker & Dale VS Evil_' one of Richie's favourites and Richie grinned lightly as he placed his arm over the shorter boy's belly.

"Good choice Eds." The taller teen murmured fondly, blinking his eyes open in the struggle to stay awake and pay attention.

Richie lost that battle during the scene where Tucker and Dale rescue Allison from the water and scared the college kids whenever they shouted ' _we have your friend_ '. Eddie looked down at the boy in front of him, Richie had slid down to rest his head on Eddie's chest and his soft breaths had indicated that he'd fallen asleep.

Eddie brushed his hands through Richie's hair as he watched the film, distracted every so often by the sight in front of him but he couldn't help himself when that sight was so beautiful. He couldn;t help but feel angry that someone would hurt _his_ Richie; because that's exactly what he was. _His._

Some assholes had decided that they were going to beat someone up simply for the fact that they weren't attracted to the opposite sex. The fact that because they weren't attracted to women then that meant they should die? Should be arrested? Should be beaten and humiliated? No. That is _bullshit_.

If Eddie truly deserved all of that because of what he was attracted to, then he would die a thousand times over for one moment with Richie. Richie and him were supposed to be like chalk and cheese, they shouldn't have clicked but they _did_. Richie can be annoying, he can be irritating as hell but Eddie knew the real Richie.

The Richie that would do anything for his friends; would literally give you the shirt off his back if you were in need of it and you showed him a little respect or kindness. Richie was everything to Eddie, they had become best friends since they were nine, Eddie fell for him when he was twelve and they had always been close.

The past few weeks had been hell for him and it was his own fault for not just being straight with the taller teen...no pun intended. He allowed his petty insecurities cloud his judgement when he had noticed hanging out with a girl who wasn't Bev and he'd pushed Richie away because of it.

Eddie knew that must have fucked Richie up quite a bit because of how his own parents treated him and Eddie wishes he could have taken it all back. Then again, if all that hadn't have happened...Would he still have this boy in his arms? Would they have finally worked up the courage to talk?

Absence makes the heart grow fonder after all.

Eddie looked back up at the screen when he noticed the credits rolling and he couldn't even bring himself to be mad that he'd missed the rest of the movie. He carefully closed his laptop and eased it onto the floor before pulling his phone out of his pocket and he checked his messages.

Bill had sent him a text to check if he was feeling better and if he knew that Richie was okay because he hadn't answered his own texts. Eddie quickly snapped a picture of Richie's sleeping face and sent it to their leader, it wasn't unusual for them to be cuddling (many a movie night with the Losers Club had them all bear witness) so he didn't feel any remorse.

They'll tell their friends when they're ready, Eddie thinks and it'll not come as a shock to them. Eddie knows that by the way they constantly joke about the sexual tension in the air whenever they would bicker at each other or when Eddie would sit on Richie's lap whenever they were stuck on the chair and would have to share it.

Bill wrote back with a quote of ' _kill it with fire_ ' from Stan and he tried to suppress his snort so he wouldn't jostle the taller teen. Eddie stroked his hand through Richie's hair again and unconsciously began to pet Richie as he thought of something to send back.

' _Tell Stan it's too late, he's already laid eggs so we may as well let him live_.' Eddie smirked, softening into a tender smile when Richie let out a cute snuffle and rubbed his face into his shirt as he tried to burrow further into his chest.

' _You had one job – Stan_.' Was the response and Eddie grinned lightly as he placed his phone onto the table. Eddie couldn't help but feel tired himself after the day they'd had and his nap. The warmth was too soothing and comfortable to resist, and so he allowed his eyes to close, caressed by the sound of Richie's breathing.

 _ **Epilogue**_

Richie waited outside Bev's house in his truck as she was taking forever to get ready and he beeped the horn impatiently.

"Yeah I coming, Jesus calm your tits!" Bev shouted as she kissed her ran down the steps to get into the car.

"You take forever to get ready Marsh!" Richie complained as he pulled out of her driveway and headed towards the school.

"Well I just wanted to look good for you Tozier." She retorted sarcastically and he snorted with a smirk.

"Don't lie; we both know you put all that effort in for Haystack." He replied as he kept his eyes focused on the road.

"Beep beep Richie!" She said defensively and he let out a little laugh.

"What? I think it's cute." Richie told her, taking his eyes off the road for a moment to look at her with a reassuring smile. "He'll love you no matter what."

"You don't know what you're talking about." Bev remarked dismissively as she pulled a compact mirror from her purse to check her make-up.

"Sure I do, he's only been in love with you since he first met you." Richie said lightly.

"You can't possibly know that." She replied self-consciously.

"Bev, I may go by the name Trashmouth on occasion but I swear I'm not bullshitting you. I mean even a blind person can tell that he loves you." The taller teen told her earnestly.

"Really?" Bev asked eagerly. "Has he said anything?" She added as she looked over at the side of his face; Richie already looked a thousand times better as there was very little bruising left and she smiled in relief.

"Only like every day of your existence." He answered with a shrug, pulling into the parking lot of the school.

"Thanks Rich." She giggled brightly, the smile on her face was brighter than the son and if Richie wasn't totally in love with Eddie _and_ straight, he'd probably fall in love with her for that alone. "You know Eddie is in love with you too right?" She added softly and he startled at that, a light blush warming his cheeks and he bit his lip to hide the telling grin.

"Bev..." He said hesitantly; unsure whether he should tell her about them or not. They both had decided that they would tell them when they were ready and they kind of wanted to enjoy what they have together for a little while.

"Just go for it Richie." She encouraged. "I just want you to be happy." Bev murmured to her best friend with earnest eyes before adding. "You deserve it Rich."

"I _am_ happy." Richie hinted before getting out of the car before he said anything else, Richie was a terrible liar and even worse at keeping secrets from his friends.

"I'm just saying." Bev said in defeat as she got out too and stood beside him.

"Well, how about this. I'll tell Eddie how I feel and you tell ol' Haystack that you love'em and lay a big ol' smacker on 'em." Richie challenged, breaking off into one of his mafia voices which was better than his others but still not by much.

"Deal!" Bev accepted happily, Richie knew he was kind of cheating but he was so sick of the two of them pining after one another. Richie offered his arm out to her with a smirk and she hooked her arm in his as they walked into the school.

"Where do we get our cloaks and caps?" He asked her nervously as he noticed people from their class already in their graduation gear and he adjusted his glasses on his face as they had slipped down his nose.

"I think we get them from the office." She replied as she tugged him in that direction, she squeezed him tighter when she noticed Ben and Mike in the queue, Mike had been allowed to leave home school when they finally entered high school so he was graduating too.

"Hey guys." Mike greeted them, Ben was speechless as he stared at Bev for a few moments and Richie rolled his eyes.

"Hey Mike." Richie grinned, subtly dislodging Bev from his arm and moving over to place his arm over Mike's shoulder; effectively leaving the two lovebirds with each other. "You excited for graduation?"

"Hell yeah, I can't wait to go to college! I want to get out of this town so bad." He replied happily, he looked Richie up and down with a smug smile. "Nice suit Richie, do you think they'll have a cloak long enough for you?" He joked and Richie scoffed light-heartedly.

I'll have you know that they have specially ordered me one that is basically two of them sewn together." Richie replied with a wink and Mike snorted good-naturedly.

"You look...really beautiful Bev." Ben told her, eyes widening when he saw her lightly touching the bracelet he'd given her and she smiled with a light blush on her face.

"Thanks Ben." Bev replied shyly, biting her lip as she couldn't stop her grin from widening when she saw Richie giving her two thumbs up behind Ben's back.

After collecting their cloaks and graduation caps they went into the changing rooms to put them on, Richie refused to put the cap on as he was worried it would slip off his head. They began to walk towards the gym where the graduation ceremony would be held and they immediately noticed the three jocks peeking into large room.

"Ahh Tony." Richie greeted jovially, startling the trio and Tony gave him a death glare. "Ahh the old eyes of doom, really scary."

"Shut the fuck up Tozier, the only reason you're not dead right now is because I don't want to catch your fag disease." Tony growled and Richie actually snorted.

"Don't lie Tony, you wish you could get up on all this." Richie leered and grinned at the look of disgust reflecting from all three of the boys.

"Fuck off." Tony grumbled as the three ran off in the opposite direction. Richie chuckled at the cowards before he started at the hand pressing against his chest and was pushing him backwards. He looked down and he immediately relaxed as he allowed himself to be led away from the rest of the losers.

"What the fuck do you think you're doing?" Eddie asked sternly and Richie's hands were held out in a placating gesture.

"Graduating with style?" He answered with a smirk and Eddie sighed exasperatedly as he pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Are you trying to get your face fucked up again? I mean the bruising has nearly cleared up and now you wanna antagonise them _again_?!" The shorter boy asked angrily but Richie knew he was just worried and he looked around before placing his hands on Eddie's sides and slid them up and down in a soothing gesture.

"Sorry, I just hate that guy so much." Richie replied guiltily and Eddie's face softened, a little smile tugging on his lips.

"Me too, believe me there's nothing I want more than to fuck those assholes up but I want to graduate and get the fuck out of this town to go to college with you. And we can't do that with you either dead or in jail so what's it gonna be?" Eddie asked with a hand sliding over Richie's.

"I don't really like either of those options but getting out of this town with you sounds divine darling." He said with a terrible British accent as he leaned in to Eddie's space more.

"I think we should tell them today." Eddie whispered and Richie looked confused at the change of subject before it finally clicked and he smiled warmly.

"You're ready for that? What about your mom?" Richie couldn't help but ask worriedly and Eddie shook his head quickly.

"Richie I'm fucking terrified but I don't care. I'm sick of having to hide and I don't want you to be some sort of shameful secret. I love you and I want to be able to hold hands with my fucking boyfriend." The shorter boy blurted in anxious frustration.

"Hey, it's okay. I'm down for telling the entire world because you're amazing and I need to everyone to know that I; Richie 'Trashmouth' Tozier, managed to get one Eddie Spaghetti to fall in love with me." He grinned and Eddie smiled affectionately.

"So close." He smirked and he reached up to hook a finger onto the collar of Richie's cloak to pull him down to his lips.

"You know Eds, you tell me all the time that I should stop calling you that and yet you reward me...seems like I never learn." Richie remarked with a wink and Eddie chuckled softly as he shoved Richie lightly.

"You're the worst." He snickered, grabbing onto his sleeve before tugging him in the direction of their friends who were still waiting on them and were used to their frequent 'bickering' sessions; which more often than not were hidden make-out sessions.

"What did you do this time R-Richie?" Bill asked cheerfully and Richie shrugged innocently.

"I did nothing ya honour. This tiny man just rudely accosted me." Richie said overdramatically in his southern belle accent and Eddie glared up at him in a way that said he was in for a world of pain when they were alone again.

"Richie was talking smack to Tony and Eddie was worried or something." Bev informed their leader, grinning smugly when she received glares from the two teens.

"Sounds like them." Bill nodded sagely and Eddie let out an exasperated sigh. He looked up at Richie anxiously then and Richie met his eyes worriedly but he soon knew it was because Eddie wanted to tell them now but he was scared.

Richie bit the bullet and threw his arm over Eddie's shoulder. "We wanted to tell you guys something, Eddie's face was an adorable shade of pink and Richie tried to rub his shoulder reassuringly to make sure he was okay

"Eddie and I have actually been together for like two weeks so my _boyfriend_ was mad at me for putting those sweet moves on Tony." Richie told them, his nerves causing him to make a joke at the end and Eddie glared up at him and Richie grinned guiltily.

"I'm leaving you." Eddie said as he struggled to get out of Richie's hold to no avail as the taller teen pulled him back against his chest and hugged him from behind.

"Don't leave me Eds!" Richie begged with a chuckle and Eddie couldn't help but smile giddily.

"Richie Tozier...I'm gonna kill you." Bev threatened and Richie had the decency to look guiltily.

"Save me Eddie." Richie said as he let go quickly and ran around the losers as Bev gave chase.

"What did he do?" Eddie asked with an adorable head tilt and Richie ran behind him to save himself from Bev's wrath as Ben held her back.

"You know what you did." Bev hissed angrily. "Eddie won't always be around to save you."

"I'm sorry Bev, I would have told you but we decided not to tell anyone until we were ready." The taller teen told her. "I take it went well?" He asked hesitantly.

"What went well?" Ben asked worriedly, rubbing a gentle hand up and down her arm.

"You're lucky it went well." Bev told the trashmouthed teen with narrowed eyes. Richie grinned happily and carefully made his way over to her.

"I'm sorry about the cheap trick but I knew it would turn out that way." He said softly and her glare softened a little bit.

"I'm still mad at you." She said, folding her arms and allowing Ben to put an arm around her waist, pulling her into his side.

"I know." Richie sighed, rubbing a hand awkwardly through his hair. "I wanted to tell you first I swear."

"Is anyone gonna fill us in?" Eddie asked worriedly as he moved over to place a hand on Richie's arm, smiling a little as he realised he could do that in front of their friends now.

" _Richie_." Bev stated bitterly. "And I had a conversation this morning where I tried to talk him into telling you his feelings and he had the great idea to make a deal: Richie would tell _you_ how he felt and _I_ would tell..." Bev faltered shyly and Ben squeezed her side encouragingly. "I would tell Ben how I felt."

"Richie!" Eddie snapped at the taller teen who winced at his stern tone.

"I'm sorry but it's not like I said it to be a dick. We _all_ know Haystack's been in love with you since we were twelve and you were worried he wouldn't like you so I just said it." Richie defended and Eddie rolled his eyes.

"Thanks Richie." Ben said with a surprised grin and Bev rolled her eyes.

"Don't encourage him." She chided and Ben just shrugged as he couldn't keep the content smile off his face.

"And it all worked out right?" Richie said hesitantly, giving Bev the puppy eyes and she rolled her eyes with a fond grin in response.

"Fine, you're lucky I love Eddie so much or I would make you disappear." She threatened lightly and Eddie let out a little snort.

"Speaking of which; congratulations guys!" Mike interrupted warmly and the other losers joined in.

"Finally wouldn't even cover it." Stan commented with an eyeroll.

"I-I'm happy for y-you guys." Bill told his friends cheerfully.

"Thanks guys." Eddie said shyly, Richie reached out to hold his hand and the other losers looked on fondly as the pair smiled to each other.

"Yes it's true, ol' Eddie Spaghetti here has decided to make an honest man out of me." Richie remarked and Eddie nudged his side good naturedly.

"I'm gonna kill you later." The shorter teen murmured with a sweet smile and the taller teen laughed in response.

"Let me graduate first please, I beg you." Richie pleaded, leaning down to kiss the top of Eddie's head.

"Fine." Eddie replied and rolled his eyes, his cheeks warming a soft rosy pink which Richie fell a little more in love with.

"Ugh you're sickeningly adorable already." Stan groaned, causing the other Losers to laugh and they froze when they heard the announcement saying that ceremony would start in five minutes.

"Well it's the big moment; once we graduate we can finally leave this shithole behind!" Richie stated cheerfully and the other losers nodded their heads gratefully.

"Barrens tonight to celebrate?" Mike asked and the other losers cheered.

"Hell y-yes." Bill said warmly. "I still have those blankets in my car from last t-time."

"I still have the CD player in the backseat of my truck." Richie chimed in whilst he adjusted his glasses a little on his face as he was still waiting for his new contacts to be delivered.

"We should probably go and find our seats now." Eddie said nervously and the other losers nodded as they walked into the auditorium, Richie holding the door open for his boyfriend to go first.

The day went ahead without a hitch, they all received their diplomas and Richie begrudgingly wore his hat after much bitching from Eddie.

Richie's parents didn't show up but his smile never dimmed as Eddie was patiently waiting for him after they were called up in alphabetical order by surname and they smiled at each other warmly.

Sonia Kaspbrak made them all stay for photographs when the ceremony was over and she took pictures of the group together. Eddie had to ask Richie to take a photograph of them both on his phone as he was too short to get both of them in the picture at the right angle.

The losers all headed out to the barrens to celebrate, Ben and Beverly cuddled together under one of the blankets Bill had passed around and Richie was resting his head on Eddie's lap as the shorter boy played with his hair.

They played music and lounged around until the sun began to dim before they decided to go back to civilisation and get dinner together in their local diner. All in all it felt like the end of an era as they reminisced about their time at school and discussed their hopes for the future.

Richie and Eddie had applied for the same colleges before Eddie had stopped talking to the taller teen and thankfully they did because they were now going to be able to go to college together. Mike would be attending a college closer to home so he could commute and still be at home with his grandfather.

Stan and Bill would be attending college together in New York, and Ben and Bev would be attending separate colleges but with only a twenty mile difference; they could make it work.

When all was said and done, the losers parted ways with assurances that they would meet up the next day and spend as much time as possible with the others until they had to go.

Richie opened the car door open for Eddie and drove him back to the Kaspbrak's residence. When they pulled up outside, Richie looked over at Eddie with a small grin.

"Thanks Eds." He murmured so soft that Eddie almost didn't hear him.

"What for?" He asked curiously.

"Just for being there for me, I mean you always have been but...today meant a lot to me." Richie informed him fondly.

"You don't need to thank me Rich." Eddie mumbled bashfully.

"I do though, I mean _they_ couldn't even show up for my graduation...but you? You were happy for me and I could feel it." Richie replied seriously, a hint of hurt in his tone and Eddie reached over to take his hand in both of his.

"Hey, I love you and they are shitty people for not turning up. I'm so proud of you Richie...even if you can be a dick sometimes." Eddie told him honestly, a little smirk tugging on his lips at the end and Richie chuckled lightly.

"I love you too Eddie Spaghetti. I can't wait to get the hell out of this town for a while and go to college with you." He said cheerfully, kissing Eddie's forehead and pressing their foreheads together.

"You staying tonight?" The shorter boy asked and Richie shrugged.

"I can if you want me to?" He replied but he couldn't help the hopeful smile appearing on his face.

"Of course I do." Eddie told him, squeezing his hand and kissing Richie's cheek.

Both teens got out of the car then and headed into the Kaspbrak residence. Sonia was thankfully spending time with Eddie's aunt for the night, Eddie eased the door closed after Richie walked in and the pair silently moved upstairs to Eddie's room.

"You wanna watch a movie?" Eddie asked curiously as Richie flopped down onto the bed after kicking off his shoes.

"Sure, what do you wanna watch?" Richie replied with a fond grin.

"Not sure, I'm gonna have a look." Eddie murmured as he loaded up Netflix on his laptop.

"Alright, just don't spend an hour making a decision like last time." The taller teen snorted.

"Shut up, it wasn't an hour...it was forty-five minutes." Eddie said defensively, the last part of his sentence a grumble.

"Jeez Eds, you really got me there." Richie snarked, earning himself a scathing look before the shorter teen turned back to the laptop.

Eddie finally settled on Jurassic World, even though he'd already watched it four times; he still loved it and Richie could appreciate that so he never complained when the shorter teen would talk about it over and over again.

Eddie set the laptop down on his chair and brought it closer to the bed so he wouldn't have to worry about it overheating on his blanket. Richie held his arms out with the blanket invitingly so the shorter teen could climb in and watch the film as the taller teen pulled him closer to his chest.

Every so often, Richie would rub his nose into the back of Eddie's neck comfortingly and Eddie would turn his head expectantly so they could kiss before turning back to the movie and snuggle closer into the taller teen's chest.

Richie sighed contently, he was only half paying attention to the film as he was too busy musing over the teen in front of him and he smiled slightly.

This was his best friend; the person he was in love with, who put up with his shit and loved him back anyway. They were going to be moving on to college together; getting away from Eddie's suffocating mother, Richie's neglectful parents and the constant feeling of heaviness that seemed to emanate from the town.

Richie rubbed his nose at Eddie's neck again, lightly mouthing at the side of neck affectionately and he felt the teen shiver in his arms.

"Richie, quit it. The movie's almost over." Eddie complained, hand reaching back to pet through Richie's hair once before linking their hands together over his stomach.

"Sorry." Richie mumbled, not sounding sorry at all as he gave one last lingering kiss with a hint of tongue on his neck before pulling back.

"Later." Eddie whispered so quietly, Richie had to strain to hear him and he chuckled softly when he did.

Richie tried to pay attention to the movie then, thumb stroking the back of Eddie's hand and Eddie gasped as the raptors were hurt by the Indominus Rex. Richie had to restrain himself from sassing his boyfriend about being shocked when he'd seen it so many times and he hid his grin on Eddie's shoulder.

When the credits began to roll, Richie didn't get a chance to say or do anything as Eddie rolled over and leapt at the taller teen to kiss him stupid. Richie's hand brushed through the shorter teen's hair as he tilted Eddie's head a little to get a better angle and Eddie gasped, his mouth opening so their tongues could meet.

Eddie's hands explored the taller teen's chest tentatively, they hadn't gone any further than making out and some grinding but he seemed to be a little bolder tonight; not that Richie was complaining as his hand made a slow caress down Eddie's back.

Breaking their heated kiss, Richie began mouthing at Eddie's neck again; the shorter teen raising his head a little to give him more room to explore and he sucked softly just below his ear.

"Richie." Eddie sighed softly, hand gripping at his side and Richie slowly moved forward so he could lean over his boyfriend. His thigh slid in between Eddie's legs perfectly and he held himself up on shaking hands, Richie's lips gently surrounded the teen's earlobe with a light nibble and Eddie shivered beautifully at the sensation as he let out a quiet moan.

"Eddie." Richie murmured, glasses sliding precariously down his nose and he looked into the eyes of the beautiful boy in front of him. "Is this okay?" He asked quietly, thigh leaning gently on the hardened length as the shorter teen was softly grinding into it.

"Yes." He whispered, a small smile playing on his lips as he reached up to stroke Richie's face before pulling him down to his lips to kiss him. They kissed desperately, breaths becoming short and Richie ran his hand through Eddie's hair whilst Eddie's hands were travelling down the taller teen's back and he tugged him down.

Richie had no choice but to comply with his boyfriend's insistent tugging, trying to keep some of his weight off Eddie as he leaned on his forearms at either side of Eddie's head. Eddie moved from Richie's lips, leaving small kisses on his cheek, his jaw and then kissing his neck and Richie shivered as he desperately tried to concentrate on what was happening.

Eddie pushed at Richie so he would roll over onto his back and Eddie straddled the taller teen as he sucked a mark onto Richie's neck, causing him to gasp lightly as his head swam. Nothing mattered but the gorgeous teen in front of him, his hands gripped Eddie's back as Eddie's tongue traced his ear and he moaned softly as his hands travelled down and squeezed the teen's ass.

"You okay?" Eddie asked, pulling back to look at him with a smug smile tugging on his lips and Richie grinned back happily.

"Why wouldn't I be? Have you _seen_ you?" Richie asked as he had one hand on his boyfriend's hip and the other hand stroked up Eddie's still clothed chest, and he smirked when Eddie's cheeks turned pink.

"Richie..." The shorter teen started hesitantly and Richie instantly became serious, a concerned frown tugging on his features.

"Eddie, what's wrong." The taller teen asked his boyfriend worriedly and Eddie reached for the hand on his chest with both of his nervously.

"I haven't...I'm a...I've never done this with anyone before." Eddie mumbled anxiously as he stared at Richie's palm like it held all the answers.

"You think I have?" Richie asked softly, squeezing lightly on the fingers in his palm.

"You're always talking shit about how you've done this and that." Eddie snapped defensively as he turned his face away.

"Yeah, when were like fourteen and since we hit our senior year I only ever made jokes about your mom to get to you." Richie replied irritably, shaking his head at the blindness of his boyfriend. "Shit Eds, I was too in love with you to look at anyone else and I thought that was obvious."

"Well whatever asshole." Eddie blurted, his cheeks darkening impossibly but his features softened. "Me too." He murmured and finally met Richie's eyes.

"Well that's good I guess." Richie joked lightly with a helpless shrug, he had a vulnerable look on his face and Eddie leaned down to kiss his boyfriend softly.

"Do you want to?" The shorter boy whispered nervously and Richie sat up so Eddie was still straddling him but they could still have this conversation properly.

"Do you? I'm not gonna lie Eds; I'd love to and I've been waiting for this for years but Eddie...I don't want to do this if you're not ready." Richie told him honestly, he kept his hands to himself so Eddie wouldn't feel like he was being pressured; he may be asking but Richie knew how bad Eddie's anxiety could get.

Eddie thought for a few moments, eyes searching Richie's face and only seeing concern reflected back. "Rich, I wouldn't want it to be anyone but you." He said quietly, his eyes looking nervous but hopeful at the same time and he hesitantly brought his arms up to surround Richie's neck.

"Really?" Richie murmured as he finally allowed himself to pull Eddie closer, delicately leaving kisses around his neck as Eddie's head raised slightly.

"Definitely." He replied breathlessly, scooting forward a little to allow himself to grind down onto Richie and they both let out relieved sighs.

Richie tightened his hold on Eddie as he rolled them so that the shorter boy was beneath him and he was between his legs. He thrust his hips into the other teen's lightly as Eddie tugged on his hair so they could kiss and a quiet moan escaped the shorter teen's lips quickly swallowed by his own.

"Still okay?" Richie pulled back to ask but Eddie let out an impatient noise and dragged him back to his lips as their hips grinded together again. Richie couldn't help but chuckle a little at Eddie's insistence but it broke off in a quiet groan at the sensations their thrusting was causing. "Fuck Eds."

"You enjoying yourself?" Eddie laughed breathlessly as Richie had closed his eyes at some point and began licking and biting at his neck desperately.

Richie hummed lightly, hands tugging gently at the bottom of Eddie's shirt and he pulled back to look at Eddie with a small smile.

"Can I?" Richie asked hesitantly, glasses askew and Eddie giggled softly as he reached up to take them off before setting them on the bedside table. He sat up a little and took his shirt off; still nervous but because _Richie_ was there with a reassuring smile he felt a little calmer.

"Now you." Eddie said a little too quickly and Richie complied with a nervous smile of his own. They looked at each other with shy grins, tentative hands touching the other's chests and Eddie tilted his head invitingly. Richie took the hint, leaning in and kissing him, one hand stroking Eddie's side and the other on his face.

"Eds...do you-." Richie didn't get to finish his sentence as Eddie blurted out a "yes" and the taller teen hesitantly slid his hand down to the fumble at the button on Eddie's pants. He sat up then, unbuttoning the pants slowly as his eyes met Eddie's to watch for any signs of distress but Eddie smiled reassuringly.

"I'm okay Richie." The shorter teen murmured, eyes sparkling in the low light of the bedside lamp and Richie nodded as he felt a little more confident. He grinned at the Star Wars boxers, snickering a little as Eddie lifted his hips to help his boyfriend pull down his jeans. "What are you laughing at?" He asked defensively and Richie sobered slightly with an apologetic look.

"Just laughing at your taste in underwear." Richie answered with a wink, finally throwing the pants onto the floor unceremoniously.

"Shut up." Eddie told him as his cheeks reddened. "Take your pants off and stop laughing or I'm kicking you out of my bed." He tried to sass confidently but Richie could sense the anxiety creeping in and he reached for the shorter teen's hand.

"Hey, it's okay." Richie murmured softly, giving his boyfriend a look so he would know he could stop at anytime and that he wasn't laughing at _him_. "I mean, I like Star Wars." He added helplessly and Eddie merely huffed with a fond grin pulling on his lips.

"Well alright then, what are yours like? Hmm? And I swear to god Rich if you mention anything to do with my mom right now I _will_ break up with you." Eddie sassed and Richie held up his hands innocently.

"Why do you always think the worst of me?" Richie asked, smirking while he unbuttoned his own pants and moved a little so he could take them off without accidentally hitting Eddie.

"Because usually; I'm right." Eddie grinned, giggling when he saw the watermelon boxers and Richie merely waggled his eyebrows ludicrously.

"What? I like watermelon's they were fresh out of boxers with your face on them sorry Eddie Spaghetti." Eddie hissed and swatted at him lightly but Richie was chuckling too much to dodge. "Hey, you said I couldn't say anything about your mom; you never said anything about you so sorry Eds, you're fair game."

Eddie tried to struggle away in a huff but Richie hugged him tightly, smooching kisses all over his face and soon enough the shorter boy was laughing lightly as he began tickling at his sides.

"Rich-ie, stop it...please." Eddie giggled breathlessly and his tall boyfriend finally complied. Eddie's breaths began to slow as they looked at each other, Richie had a warm smile on his face and the anxious tension in the air had gone. That was always something Eddie loved about Richie, no matter how scared or angry or sad he felt, Richie would always somehow make it all better and Eddie leaned up to capture his lips softly.

Richie melted into the kiss, Eddie's hands slowly surrounding his neck and the taller teen gently leaned his weight down onto his boyfriend. They restarted their grinding, the sensation even _more_ now as their pants were no longer restricting them and Richie's warm hand stroked down Eddie's chest.

He thumbed at a nipple as his lips made a trail down to his chin, his neck and he nipped lightly on Eddie's collarbone before finally licking and biting at the small bud. Eddie sighed, hands reaching for Richie's hair and shoulder as the taller teen nipped and licked his way down to where skin met his boxers before pulling back to look up at the boy writhing before him.

"Eds." Richie whispered, looking only slightly nervous as a warm palm squeezed at the shorter teen's thigh. Eddie was panting slightly, looking back with pleading eyes and Richie smirked at how ready to fall apart his boyfriend already was. "Gonna need some verbal communication here." He added as he nipped at his one of his thighs and squeezed the other.

"Please Rich." Eddie moaned out quietly and Richie tittered smugly.

"Please what Eds? I don't think that was clear enough." He informed him, lightly nipping at the Star Wars boxers with dark eyes and Eddie huffed irritably.

"Richie." Eddie complained. "Whatever you want, just do it. I'm ready." He said begrudgingly and Richie complied. He would have plenty of chances to tease Eddie in the future but he was feeling nervous himself and the last thing he wanted was to make the shorter teen feel anxious and uncomfortable during their first time.

He reached for the boxers with shaking fingers, eyes meeting Eddie's worriedly and he received a frantic nod from the shorter teen. Richie nodded too, taking a deep breath as he slowly slid the boxers down and he let the breath out in a slow huff as he saw the shorter teen's erection spring free.

"Eds." Richie whispered reverently, hand hovering over the length as he looked up at Eddie questioningly and Eddie stroked his hand through Richie's hair comfortingly.

"It's okay." Eddie murmured with a soft grin, he knew Richie needed the reassurance as much as he did. Neither of them were experts at this, Richie may be asking for Eddie's permission for Eddie's sake and comfort but Richie needed to know it was okay too. "We'll figure it out together."

"Yeah." Richie replied, the corner of his lips tugging up warmly and Eddie used the grip he had in the taller teen's hair to pull him into a kiss. Emboldened by the reassurance, Richie's hand made a trail down and this time it didn't avoid the area he desperately wanted to touch and he gripped Eddie lightly.

Eddie moaned softly into Richie's mouth as the taller teen moved his hand up and down in a slow but steady pace. Richie's tongue met Eddie's in a tentative dance when Eddie's gasping moans meant that he couldn't keep his mouth closed for more than a few milliseconds.

Eddie's hand gripped Richie's wrist suddenly and his eyes widened anxiously. Richie immediately let go and lifted his weight off of the other teen quickly with worried eyes.

"Are you okay Eds?" Richie asked in a concerned tone and Eddie nodded bashfully.

"I..." Eddie said shyly. "I don't wanna...be the only one" He mumbled awkwardly and Richie smiled tenderly.

"Oh...so it wasn't bad?" Richie asked with a hopeful tone, giggling a little when Eddie shook his head furiously.

"It was good; I just want you to feel good too." Eddie told him bashfully.

"Okay, well, you promise you'll let me know if you want to stop right?" The taller teen replied and Eddie nodded with soft eyes. "Do you have any-" Richie began awkwardly.

"Top drawer." His boyfriend answered, pointing to the bedside table and Richie leaned over to open it; finding a small bottle of lube buried inside the drawer full of socks.

Richie raised a brow when he pulled it out and Eddie merely flipped him off as he avoided his eyes. The trashmouthed teen poured some onto his fingers, rubbing the substance around to warm it up a little and he gently pumped the shorter boy a few times causing him to let out a groan before sliding his hand down lower, his other hand running up Eddie's thigh.

"You ready?" Richie asked with a small smile, he rubbed a lubed finger around his boyfriend's hole teasingly when he received the frantic nod. Richie was on his knees between Eddie's spread thighs, he met Eddie's eyes with a tender smile as he pushed in one finger slowly and he could feel the shorter teen tense.

Eddie tried to breathe through the sensation, Richie's fingers were bigger than his and this was only one finger. He knew he'd have to relax and he was trying to get himself into that mindset but he was instantly distracted by Richie's other hand teasing over his cock.

"You're perfect Eds." Richie murmured as his finger travelled deeper into the other teen's entrance. He paused to give Eddie some time to get used to the feeling, the other boy squirming uncomfortably but Richie leaned down to give the length in front of him a tentative lick.

"Move Richie." Eddie moaned as his hips started moving slightly. Richie nodded, moving the finger back until it was almost completely out before pushing back in and Eddie gasped lightly. Richie leaned down again and began carefully nipping and licking at the shorter teen's cock.

Eddie moaned as his hand brushed through his boyfriend's hair, thighs tightening on his sides and Richie kept moving the hand steadily. His free hand moved up Eddie's chest and began pinching at the teen's nipples causing the other boy to pant with the various sensations coming from everywhere.

When he felt a little bit loose, Richie added the other lubed finger, after another reassuring nod from Eddie and although it hurt the shorter teen he didn't want it to stop.

"I don't want to hurt you Eds." Richie murmured worriedly and Eddie pulled Richie's face towards his.

"You would never hurt me." Eddie whispered into Richie's lips, eyes earnest but pained as Richie slowly eased his fingers in and out. Richie pressed their lips together softly, his free hand resuming the slow up and down movements on Eddie's cock as he thought that might alleviate the pain.

Sure enough after an uncomfortable few minutes, Eddie showed signs of improvement as his moans of pain turned into pleasure and he grinded his hips down onto Richie's hand. Richie took his fingers out to add more lube before pushing them back in and Eddie gasped as the slide was a bit easier.

Richie scissored his fingers this way and that to try and stretch Eddie a little more. Eddie let out a shocked shout when Richie brushed against something, the taller boy began to pull back worriedly but Eddie huffed and gripped Richie's wrist before he could escape.

"Whatever you did." He said breathlessly. "Do it again. Please." He begged lightly and Richie nodded quickly as he tried to find that spot again. He swallowed down Eddie's gasping moans as he hit that spot over and over. "Richie, Richie." Eddie panted and the taller teen grinned affectionately as he was content with the knowledge that this reaction was because of him.

"I'm gonna add a third Eddie, is that okay?" Richie asked him and Eddie nodded desperately, hands flying over Richie's back as he scratched lightly through the pleasure. He let out a protesting noise when Richie removed his hand so he could add more lube before easing three fingers back in and Eddie gasped at the feeling of fullness he was experiencing.

"Richie...I don't think I'll be able to last much longer." Eddie panted as he adjusted to the three fingers better than he had two and Richie hesitated before pulling out his fingers nervously.

"You ready?" Richie asked worriedly as he was afraid of hurting the smaller boy.

"I am, are you?" Eddie asked, one hand reaching up to touch Richie's cheek and the other stroked down to touch the edge of the watermelon print underwear. Richie nodded, moving back to remove his boxers with shaking hands and Eddie's eyes widened anxiously when he saw Richie's length spring free.

"You okay?" Richie asked nervously when he noticed Eddie's apprehensive eyes on him.

"A little scared, not gonna lie." Eddie murmured and Richie reached over to stroke his cheek tenderly.

"I love you." Richie said simply. "I'm scared of hurting you but I promise I'll do everything I can to try not to."

"I love you too." The shorter boy replied with a soft smile. "Come on, I'm ready." He added a little impatiently and Richie moved closer to him, covering his own cock with a generous amount of lube.

Richie leaned over Eddie to kiss him first, he was determined to make sure he was relaxed before he made an attempt at entering his boyfriend and Eddie took that as an opportunity to touch Richie.

Eddie's hands travelled around his torso and back, pulling the taller teen closer and they both moaned as their erections rubbed together, the lube providing a delicious friction for both of them.

"Fuck Eds." Richie gasped into his boyfriend's mouth and their tongues fought for dominance as they desperately lapped at each other, grinding a little more before Richie placed his palms on both of Eddie's thighs and pushed them up and apart.

"Do it Rich." Eddie moaned softly as he gripped Richie's back to push him towards his entrance. Richie nodded frantically as he was worked up from the sounds his boyfriend had been making and their grinding.

Both teens took deep breaths as Richie aimed his cock and gently pushed into his boyfriend's hole. Eddie moaned a little in pain but his grip on Richie's back was firm as he pulled him further into him, Richie kept the slide in slow and steady, and when he was fully seated he waited patiently for Eddie to adjust.

Eddie desperately tried to relax as he felt like he was being split open, he panted softly and he tried to even his breathing, nodding for Richie to move when he was ready. Richie eased himself back before pushing back in, groaning gently as Eddie's heat squeezed him deliciously and Eddie pulled him closer so they could pant into each other's mouths.

The taller teen adjusted his grip so his forearms were holding himself up on either side of his boyfriend and Eddie's legs moved to cross themselves over his waist. Richie kept his pace as gentle as he could, he could feel Eddie's thighs trembling against him and Richie wasn't sure whether it was in pleasure or pain.

When Eddie began grinding back onto Richie's cock, his moans turning from pain to pleasure; he picked up his pace and he aimed for that spot again. After adjusting his aim a few times, he knew he'd hit it when Eddie let out a high-pitched whine and Richie grinned into his mouth.

They kissed here and there when they could but the sensations the other was causing was too much for them to keep their breathing even so more often than not, they were moaning and panting into each other's gasping mouths.

"Faster Richie." Eddie whined, hands surrounding his neck and his thighs tightening around his waist. Richie was sweating slightly with the effort of trying to be slow so when he heard the request, it was with relief that he thrust in faster and harder into that spot.

Eddie could feel his toes curling at the pleasure the taller teen was causing, he looked into Richie's lustful and loving eyes and he pulled one of his hands away from his boyfriend's neck to touch his wrist. Richie linked their fingers together beside Eddie's head the other reaching down to touch the shorter teen's cock and tugging along with his thrusts.

"Eds, I love you." Richie murmured breathlessly, his hand moving faster as Eddie moaned and whined into his mouth desperately. He could feel the burning embers building at the base of his belly and he knew it wouldn't be long before he came but he wanted Eddie to cum first.

"I love you too Richie." Eddie gasped out, eyes shutting as his panting quickened and he forced himself to open his eyes to meet Richie's as he completely fell apart with a long hitching moan. Richie eased him through it as he moved his hand up and down and their lips met frantically, Richie was so close and Eddie was determined to make sure he joined him in post-coital bliss as he lazily pushed his back closer.

It only took a few more thrusts before Richie was groaning into Eddie's lips, thrusting lazily as he pumped the last remaining moments of his release, he eased himself out of his boyfriend and he was panting heavily. He flopped to the side, facing Eddie so he wouldn't crush him but he could still pull him into his arms and that's what he did whilst peppering small kisses all over his face.

"Thank god your mom's out for the night." Richie sighed heavily and Eddie rolled his eyes tiredly.

"Don't bring up my mother right now." Eddie complained and Richie smiled apologetically as he kissed the side of Eddie's face.

"Sorry, I love you." The taller teen murmured as he nuzzled into Eddie's neck sleepily.

"I love you too Richie." Eddie replied with a content smile, he lazily pushed at Richie so he would lie on his back and Eddie moved to lie on the taller teen's chest.

"You feeling okay?" Richie asked with a hint of concern in his tone, Eddie raised his head to look up at him and he smiled fondly.

"Yeah, are you?" His boyfriend answered shyly, eyes sparkling with happiness in the lamplight and Richie didn't think he could look more beautiful.

"I feel amazing, you are the best thing that's ever happened to me Eds." Richie told him, arms tightening around the shorter teen to hug him close and Eddie giggled joyfully.

"I'm so lucky to have you in my life Rich, even if you do annoy me sometimes." Eddie replied with a sleepy smirk.

"I would never." The taller teen said innocently, a smirk playing on his lips and he leaned forward to kiss Eddie lightly.

"Mmmhmm." Eddie hummed sarcastically, melting into Richie's lips before settling back down onto his boyfriend's chest. He felt a little sore but he knew it would fade, he didn't mind the pain as it served as a reminder of their first time and he snuggled into Richie's chest more as he rubbed lazy circles on his skin.

"I can't wait to go to college with you." Richie mumbled tiredly, rubbing a warm hand up and down Eddie's back.

"Same, we can finally get away." Eddie said groggily, more than half asleep already and Richie smiled affectionately.

"Goodnight Eddie Spaghetti." The taller teen told him softly and Eddie hummed.

"Night Rich." He whispered drowsily. "Love you."

"I love you too Eds." Richie replied and he kissed Eddie's hair gently.

Richie watched his boyfriend sleeping for a little while longer, his eyes drooping steadily and he was fighting a losing battle to keep them open.

He fell asleep to thoughts of their future together, they would miss the other Losers dearly but they had all agreed to meet up at least once a month when they could and Richie was glad that he and his boyfriend had got into the same college.

Richie fell asleep with a smile on his face as he knew that even though there would be new and interesting challenges to face; they would face it together. As long as Eddie was by his side, he could face anything and it had always been that way even since they were kids.

Richie was feel asleep, cuddling with the boy he fell in love with and he felt safe in the knowledge that he would be accepted for who he is; loved for it even. Unlike his mother who liked to remind him every time she was drunk that she wished he'd been a girl,

With Eddie, Richie felt like the luckiest guy on Earth.

And Richie knew that Eddie felt the same.

A/N Ending is a little meh but I'm so tired, I'll probably end up editing it. Hope you enjoyed! :3


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